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1999 Monaco Grand Prix
16 May |number = 634 |officialname = LVII Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco |circuit = Circuit de Monaco |location = Monte Carlo, Monaco |circuittype = Temporary street circuit |lapdistance = 3.367 |laps = 78 |distance = 262.626 |pole = Mika Häkkinen |polenation = FIN |poleteam = |poletime = 1:20.547 |fastestlap = 1:22.259 |fastestlapdriver = Mika Häkkinen |fastestlapnation = FIN |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 67 |winner = Michael Schumacher |winnernation = GER |winnerteam = |second = Eddie Irvine |secondnation = GBR |secondteam = |third = Mika Häkkinen |thirdnation = FIN |thirdteam = }} The 1999 Monaco Grand Prix, otherwise known as the LVII Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco, was the fourth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on the 16 May 1999.'Monaco GP, 1999', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr634.html, (Accessed 27/08/2019) The race would see Michael Schumacher secure victory for , leading from start to finish having beaten Mika Häkkinen off the line. The Finn had struck the first blow of the weekend, claiming pole position during qualifying ahead of the German. Their respective teammates David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine shared the second row, while Rubens Barrichello secured fifth. The two Ferraris proved to be the cars to beat in the warm-up, although many believed that the two were sandbagging. Regardless the field lined-up on the grid for the start without issue, with no threat of rain. At the start it was Schumacher who showed that Ferrari truly had the pace to beat McLaren, with the German ace pulling ahead of the Finnish ace into Sainte Devote. It was a similar story in the battle of the number twos, Irvine jumping Coulthard, while Damon Hill surged ahead of Barrichello to claim fifth. Unsurprisingly the top four quickly pulled clear at the head of the field, leaving Hill to be barged out of the race by Ralf Schumacher. Yet, the narrow Monegasque streets proved as restrictive to overtaking as possible, meaning there were no changes to the order. Indeed, it was only when Coulthard dramatically lost pace on lap 35 that the order changed, the Brit suffering the early stages of a gearbox failure. He duly retired a lap later, swiftly followed by Tora Takagi, whose engine failure ultimately proved crucial to the final race order. The Japanese racer's expiring engine left oil at Mirabeau, which caused the circuit to become treacherous at that area. Schumacher tiptoed through without issue while Häkkinen, on maximum attack before his stop, hit the slick and slid down the escape road. He rejoined just in time to see Irvine sweep past, with the Finn making his single stop a few laps later. The second half of the race saw Häkkinen hunt down Irvine, who would drop further and further away from Schumacher the closer the Finn got. As such, the fight for victory was over, with Häkkinen looking likely to run out of time to force a move on Irvine. Indeed, the race would finish without Häkkinen launching an attack, with the defending World Champion having to settle for third behind the Brit. Out front, meanwhile, Schumacher would cruise across the line half a minute clear to claim victory, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz securing the remaining points. Background Michael Schumacher left San Marino with victory and the Championship lead, holding a four point advantage at the head of the hunt. Eddie Irvine had made way for his teammate, while Mika Häkkinen slipped to third, having been set to win the race prior to his accident. Heinz-Harald Frentzen had also lost ground in fourth, while Ralf Schumacher completed the top five. In the Constructors Championship it was who left their de jure home race with an enhanced lead, moving onto 28 points with two wins. That translated to a twelve point advantage over , with the two set to duel for the crown between themselves for the rest of the campaign. Elsewhere, had inched closer to the McLaren squad, while and completed the early top five. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Qualifying Report Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * Twentieth Grand Prix entry for Tora Takagi.'1999 Monaco GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1999&gp=Monaco%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 27/08/2019) * Mika Häkkinen secured the 25th pole position for a engine.'4. Monaco 1999', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1999/monaco.aspx, (Accessed 27/08/2019) * Michael Schumacher claimed his 35th career victory. * 122nd win for as a constructor and engine supplier. Standings Michael Schumacher extended his Championship lead with his second straight victory of the campaign, leaving Monte Carlo with an eight point advantage. Eddie Irvine remained his closest challenger, and had inched further away from Mika Häkkinen in third. Heinz-Harald Frentzen had also slipped further back in fourth, while Ralf Schumacher retained his top five status. In the Constructors Championship had managed to claim a perfect score, meaning their Championship lead had been greatly enhanced. They left Monaco on 44 points, 24 more than second placed rivals , whom kept throwing away points with mistakes and poor reliability. Behind had retained third ahead of , while completed the top five. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:1999 Grands Prix Category:Monaco Grand Prix